Plastic Beverage Bottles
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. You can keep the caps on unless you are recycling these bottles at a buy back center. Examples include water, soda, and juice bottles.
Plastic Milk Bottles
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. You can keep the caps on unless you are recycling these bottles at a buy back center.
Laundry Detergent Bottles
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. You can keep the caps on unless you are recycling these bottles at a buy back center.
Soap, Shampoo, and Conditioner Bottles
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. You can keep the caps on unless you are recycling these bottles at a buy back center.
[Photo credit: Onderwijsgek / CC BY-SA]
Plastic Buckets
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Rigid plastics greater than 6″ are still valuable recyclables.
Plastic Crates and Tubs
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Rigid plastics greater than 6″ are still valuable recyclables.
Plastic Flower Pots
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Rigid plastics greater than 6″ are still valuable recyclables.
Large Rigid Plastic Toys
Recycling
Rigid plastic toys greater than 6″ are still valuable recyclables. Please make sure to remove any batteries before recycling the toy. Soft plastic toys and small rigid plastic toys are NOT accepted in the recycling.
Other Large Rigid Plastics
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Rigid plastics greater than 6″ are still valuable recyclables.
Corrugated Cardboard
Recycling
Must be clean, dry, and free of packing tape/packing materials. Boxes must be flattened.
Computer & Office Paper
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Colored paper is OK.
Books
*Require Extra Step Before Recycling*
Only the pages of paperback and hardcover books can be recycled, so please remove the covers and spines before recycling the pages. The covers of paperback and hardcover books are not recyclable, so they need to go in the trash.
Paper Bags
Recycling
Must be clean & dry.
Empty Toilet Paper & Paper Towel Rolls
Recycling
Must be clean & dry.
Cereal Boxes and Other Paper Board
Recycling
Must be empty, clean & dry. Examples include pasta, beer, soda, and tissue boxes, as well as toilet paper and paper towel rolls.
Newspaper
Recycling
Must be clean & dry.
Shredded Paper
Recycling
Please try to contain the shreds in a paper bag or small box if possible.
Envelopes
Recycling
Envelopes, even those with windows, are allowed in the recycling. Padded envelopes (lined with bubble wrap) are NOT allowed in the recycling and should be placed in the trash.
Junk Mail
Recycling
Envelopes, even those with windows, are allowed in the recycling. Other examples of junk mail include magazines and coupon clippers. Visit the County of Santa Barbara’s website to learn how to opt out of junk mail.
[Photo credit: Dvortygirl / CC BY-SA]
Paper Egg Cartons
Recycling
This type of paper is referred to as “molded pulp”. Be sure to remove any egg shells from the carton prior to recycling.
Molded Pulp Cup Holders
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. This “molded pulp” is a type of paper.
Packing (Kraft) Paper
Recycling
Must be clean & dry.
Glass Bottles
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. You can keep the caps on unless you are recycling these bottles at a buy back center.
Glass Jars
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. You can keep the caps on unless you are recycling these bottles at a buy back center.
Aluminum Cans
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Examples include soda, beer, and sparkling water.
Tin Cans
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Examples include soup, vegetables, beans, tuna, and wet cat/dog food.
Clean Aluminum Foil
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Try to reuse foil before tossing it out.
Clean Aluminum Trays
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Try to reuse trays before tossing them out.
Metal Flatware
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Try to donate flatware before tossing it out.
Pots & Pans
Recycling
Must be clean & dry. Try to donate pots and pans before tossing them out. It is OK if the pots and pans have non-stick coating and/or plastic handles.
Aerosol Cans
Recycling
Must be completely empty, so be sure to use all of the contents before recycling the cans. You can keep the caps on. Examples include spray paint, sun block, hair spray, and deodorant.
Empty Paint Cans
Recycling
Must be completely empty, so be sure to use all of the contents before recycling the cans. The lids can be recycled as well.
Scrap Metal & Metal Parts
Recycling
All items must fit inside your recycling container with the lid closed.